The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-15
How Editor Dana Interprets the Signs of tn
Times Beyond the Atlantic.

How Editor Dana Interprets the Signs of the
Times Beyond the Atlantic.
New York Sun.
We do not see how any one can read the
speeches made Tuesday in the 1iechstag by
the greatest statesman and the greatest general
in Europe without conviction that war is close
at hand. The admissions and the warnings by
which Bismarck and Won Moltke enforced the
demand for instant additions to the German
army were identical in tenor with those uttered
in the Prussan Landtag during the eventful
spring of 1866, and again. four years later, in
the North German Parliament. The alarm ex-
cited on both of those earlier occasions was pres
emily but too we'll justified at Sadowa and Sedan,
and they have profted but little by such anal
ogies and precedents who do not now recognize
the imminence of conflict between Germany and
France.
eff this bill is rejected" said Won Moltke, 1--WE
shall most certainly have war" With what
power9 Not with Russia as both the context Of
the Generals speech and the whole purport of
the Chancellor's Enthusiastically demonstrate. It
Is France from which Voa Moltke apprehend g
immediate attack unless the empires means of
defence are promptly strengthened. A sgnf-
cant coincidence it seems that, on the very day
when such ominous assertions were made in the
Reichstag. the French government decided to in
crease its extra military credit for the current
year by more than $l7, 100000, and of the
French ministers declared in the Senate that the
country, should it be now put to the test, would
prove that no time had been wasted in the last
| fifteen years.
| although his words at first were more cautious
| than Won Moltke's, he gave in tie end full vent
| to similar forebodings He Acknowledged that
the Goblet Ministry had given him no ground to
~~,l n$ta taalv D.
admission perfunctory be presently made
| evident by avowing utter want of confidence
| in the continuation of pacific relations with the
French republic. s'The past teaches u.s." he
said, that We cannot count upon peace with
France as permanent" And again, France is
a strong and well-armed power her army is
! brave and ready to fight" To the question. whv
| the German government had not waited for the
expiration OF the existing septennate before de-
mandng extra appropriations, ne replied bv
proclaming the conviction that 1.-THE system Of
frontier guarding requires immediate strength
enlng" He added distinct intimatiou that the
security of the empire would be endangered by
a deferment OF the DILL, and he concluded with a
positive announcement that. unless the Reich
| stag met the wishes of the government, it would
| be instantly dissolved,
| From words like these, pronounced in the face
OF Europe, the inference can Lardly be avoided
that tho German government possesses such
| knowledge of the strength Of the French army
| and of the intentions of it's official representa-
tives as to render counter preparation a matter
| Of the utmost urgency. Nor is the probability
that supreme trial Of strength is imminent
qualified TO any marked degree by Bismarck's
| averment that under circumstances should
| the provocation come from him. That was pre-
cisely what he said in the spring of 1866 and the
spring Of 1870, and. ostensibly and technically
he kept his word But when the hour was ripe
he took good care to heap up tinder to which
his antagonists beheld themselves forced in sheer
desperation to apply the match. He will find il
| no MI W fr
strike, to drive the French republic into post
| ure Of aggression.